Slemish Mountain lies just outside Broughshane, rising about 437 metres above the surrounding fields and forming the central core of an extinct volcano. The mountain shapes the landscape around the village and provides a striking landmark for walks. The River Braid paths, a Waterfowl Park and historic buildings also offer a range of discoveries in Broughshane.

Slemish and Walks in the Village

A 1.5-kilometre circular trail on Slemish leads to the summit and back. In good weather, the circuit takes about an hour. Weather and ground conditions affect safe access, so check them before setting out. The mountain is also associated with Saint Patrick: on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, people hike it as a place of pilgrimage, and large crowds gather. A festival is also held in Broughshane. If this date is important for your trip, check the specific festival dates, as arrangements can vary.

Another circuit is the Buttermilk Bridge Walk. The 1.5-mile route starts and ends at the Houston’s Mill car park in Broughshane. Compared with the Slemish circuit, both routes are described as circular, but their lengths are given in different units. Only the Slemish route also has an approximate duration, specified for good weather; for the Buttermilk Bridge Walk, the starting and ending point at the same car park is given instead.

River Walks and the Waterfowl Park

Little Acorn Wood and the Riverside Walk are located behind Main Street. The path from Little Acorn runs alongside the River Braid. In Broughshane Waterfowl Park, you can walk through the woods and along the river; access conditions may vary seasonally. So, as well as the mountain circuit, there are walks with woodland and riverside scenery to choose from.

The park’s development is linked to volunteer work: a silted-up pond with a large marsh area was transformed into a habitat for ornamental waterfowl. Little Acorn Wood was also created. The park is said to be one of only two places in the world where all seven swan species can be found. This distinction adds another connection with nature to the practical walking options.

Building and Local History

The building history of St Patrick’s Church can be traced through three dates. Charles O’Neill of Shane’s Castle built the church in 1765. It was extended in 1829, and a chancel, transept and vestry were added in 1859. This sequence shows that the church was expanded over several phases of construction.

Since 2011, the Broughshane Community Museum has been housed on the top floor of Broughshane House. It preserves thousands of locally connected objects from fields such as medicine, the military, agriculture and education. The collection thus links local history with several different subject areas.

The Thatch also reflects the area’s building history: it is one of the few surviving two-storey thatched buildings in Northern Ireland. Raceview Mill dates from 1806. Along with the dated construction phases of the church, these buildings point to different chapters in local history.

Cycling towards the Irish Sea

The ecos Cycle Trail passes through the villages of Broughshane and Buckna and via Glenarm, one of the nine Glens of Antrim, towards the Irish Sea. The trail runs mainly on roads and also includes sections on faster roads that are not suitable for everyone. If you include it in your trip, take this limitation into account when choosing your cycling route.

Discover more destinations: Ballymena, Gracehill.

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